A Taste of Montreal on 200 Street

Estrella's opened its doors on September 1, 2001, in Langley City. According to the deli's own story, it started out as a small coffee shop and quickly turned into the deli it is today. Owners Mike and Sharon Estrella built its reputation on Montreal smoked meat sandwiches and poutine, and with a 4.7-star rating across more than 900 Google reviews, it has become a go-to for anyone in Langley who misses Montreal.

The reviews often read like notes from former Montrealers. One reviewer from Montreal said it is "impossible to beat the ones there" but called Estrella's one of the best they have had on the West Coast. Another wrote, "We really missed Montreal smoked meats and this place wow." A reviewer on Sirved who had just returned from Montreal called it "pretty much as good a smoke meat sandwich as you can get short of flying across the country."

The Sandwich, Explained

The menu describes the smoked meat as sliced beef brisket, ordered lean, medium, or fatty, with regular or Dijon mustard on organic light rye. It comes in a classic size and a larger Montreal size, and the Reuben adds Swiss and sauerkraut and is toasted. The deli's homepage says the meat is steamed fresh every day and that every spread and dressing is made from scratch, "never from a package."

Regulars have tips. Reviewers say the sauerkraut and house-made pickles are a must and that the fries are underrated. One suggests asking for marbled meat, or the juicier cut if you do not mind it extra fatty. Another longtime fan reports that a former favourite, the Oh Canada, came off the printed menu but still exists as a "hidden menu item."

Poutine, Paninis, and Chili

Poutine is the other half of the Montreal equation. The menu describes fresh-cut Kennebec potatoes and cheese curds smothered in the deli's own gravy, with chopped smoked meat as an add-on, and there is a breakfast poutine topped with an over-easy egg. One reviewer said their smoked meat poutine came out hot and fresh and was better than anything they had tried in the Vancouver area.

Not everything is smoked meat. Grilled paninis include Garden Veggie, Ham & Swiss, Italian, Roast Beef, and Turkey Red Pepper, and the breakfast paninis include one with three ounces of Montreal smoked meat. Soups are made in-house, among them a smoked meat chili with vegetables, beans, and shredded cheese, and customer favourites listed on Restaurantji include the roast beef panini with tomato bisque.

Small Room, Big Following

The restaurant is small and busy, and the most common complaint in reviews is parking around lunchtime. Some reviewers find it pricey; one Montreal transplant put lunch for one at about $23 but concluded, "you pay for what you get." A few have found the meat or gravy too salty. Most, though, sound like the reviewer who finally stopped in after years of driving past and called the smoked meat number one.

The staff get plenty of credit too. One reviewer on a keto diet brought their own bread, and staff made their sandwiches on it "without hesitation." For offices and parties, Estrella's caters with sandwich and panini platters or individually boxed meals for groups of about 15 to 30, and its deli items to go include smoked meat packets, karnatzel, house vinaigrettes, and pickled peppers.

Visit

Estrella's is on 200 Street in Langley City, open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Sunday and Monday. Google's popular-times data shows Saturday early afternoon as the busiest stretch, so a weekday visit or an early lunch is easier on parking. You can order ahead for pickup through the website or call (604) 539-9988.

Order it medium, add a pickle, and get the poutine. After more than two decades on 200 Street, Estrella's is still the closest thing to a Montreal deli counter that Langley has.